Laundry equipment



July 17, 1956 J. J. LAWSON LAUNDRY EQUIPMENT Filed Oct. 6, 1952 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 twi Jefferson d. Lawson INVENTOR.

BY m6 ATTO/P/Vfy July 17, 1956 J. J. LAWSON LAUNDRY EQUIPMENT 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 6, 1952 def/anion (I Z avwofl INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY y 17, 1956 J. J. LAWSON LAUNDRY EQUIPMENT 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 6, 1952 JNVENTOR.

ATTORNEY July 17, 1956 J. .1. LAWSON 2,754,570

LAUNDRY EQUIPMENT Filed on. e, 1952 a Sheets-Sheet 4 i 252 l 254v n I 256 i 260\ i J 258 Jefferson d. A avvaon Z62 INVENTOR.

l 003C; I :1 3 0 0 2 8 2 2 0 M g 1 I July 17, 1956 J. J. LAWSON 2,754,670

LAUNDRY EQUIPMENT Filed Oct. 6, 1952 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 L/EffE/JOI? d. [awson INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY J. J. LAWSON LAUNDRY EQUIPMENT July 17, 1956 Filed on. e; 1952 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 mosh .EEW

mohweihxu 52:; is; E: I

n w W 0 Z d m J F 6 I! a d INVENTOR.

ATTOR/Vf V United States Patent LAUNDRY EQUIPMENT Jefferson J. Lawson, San Antonio, Tex.

Application October 6, 1952, Serial No. 313,256

2 Claims. (Cl. 68-18) This invention relates to laundry equipment, and more particularly to a machine for cleaning clothes and the like by the dry cleaning process.

In the process of cleaning clothes, and the like, by the dry' cleaning process, as heretofore practiced, a number of separate pieces of equipment have customarily been employed in carrying out the various operations, such as washing, extracting and tumbling, and the objects to be cleaned have been loaded into each machine prior to the particular stage of the process for which the machine is intended, and removed therefrom at the close of such stage of the process.

Thus, the clothes are loaded into a washing machine, into which dry cleaning fluid is filled, and in which the clothes are agitated, and the fluid circulated from the washer through a suitable filtering apparatus and back to the washer during the washing operation. The clothes are then removed from the washer .and placed in an extractor, in order to remove the excess fluid from the clothes, usually by centrifugal action. On completion of the extraction stage, the clothes are removed from the extractor and placed in a tumbler, wherein they are tumbled while being heated, usually with hot air, to remove the last traces of cleaning fluid.

The use of a number of difierent machines, in carrying out the above described cleaning process, necessitates the employment of a large number of operators, and the loading and unloading of the machines with large quantifies of clothes, thus, involving an excessive expenditure of time and labor, which greatly increases the cost of dry cleaning.

The circulation and filtering of the cleaning fluid during the washing stage of the cleaning process also makes it necessary to use special filtering equipment, which, as heretofore customarily provided, included a number of filter screens of fine wire mesh, which must be coated with a filtering agent, such as clay, bentonite, or the like, before use, and through which .the fluid passes to remove foreign matter therefrom. The coatings on such filtering screens are easily damaged, and often break down during the operation of the apparatus, so that very frequent cleaning and renewal of the coating is required, such renewal being necessary daily, or even more often, with the equipment heretofore customarily employed.

A further disadvantage presented by laundry equipment, of the type referred to, as now commonly employed, is that the use of petroleum solvents has been found objectionable, due to the poisonous character of the fumes from such solvents, and also to the inflammable character of the same, which has resulted in the passing of regulatory measures in many communities prohibiting the use of solvents of this type.

The present invention has for its chief object the provision of laundry equipment wherein all of the various stages of the cleaning process are carried out in a single machine, without the removal of the objects being cleaned at any stage in the process between the initiation and completion of the entire cleaning operation.

2,754,670 Patented July 17, 1956 A further object of the invention is to provide laundry equipment in which the various operations of the different pieces of equipment heretofore employed are combined in a single unitary machine, the various stages of the cleaning operation being coordinated and timed for the most efficient operation of the process, which is entirely automatic in operation, and which requires only to be loaded prior to the beginning of the cleaning process, and unloaded at the completion of the same, thus greatly reducing the time and labor expended in carrying out the cleaning process.

-A further object of the invention is the provision of laundry equipment in which petroleum solvents of relatively low cost may be employed with a minimum of danger from the relatively inflammable nature of such solvents and the poisonous character of the fumes of the same, thus, eliminating the necessity for the use of the relatively expensive synthetic solvents heretofore required.

Another object of the invention is to provide laundry equipment of the character referred to, having a basket or container of improved design, and mechanism by which .the same is adapted to be driven at greatly differing rates of rotation, whereby the same basket may be employed for all stages of the cleaning process.

A further object of the invention is the provision of laundry equipment, of the dry cleaning type, having filtering apparatus of improved design, which is capable of long continued use before cleaning and replacement of .the filtering and coating agent therein.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a unitary dry cleaning machine, whereby all stages of the dry cleaning process may be carried out in one continuous operation, and which is of rugged construction, capable of long withstanding the hard usage to which such equipment is likely .to be subjected.

The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will best be understood from the following detailed description, constituting a specification of the same, when considered in conjunction with the annexed drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention showing the outward appearance of the same;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the invention, as illustrated in Figure 1, on a somewhat enlarged scale;

Figure 3 is a rear elevational view of the invention, showing the interior arrangement of the various parts of the mechanism;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view, taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 3, looking in the direction indicated by the arrow;

Figure 5 is a front view of the rotary basket or container, separated from the surrounding portions of the machine;

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view, on a somewhat enlarged scale, taken along the line 6-6 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a longitudinal, vertical, central, cross-sectional view of the improved filter of the invention;

Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 8-8 of Figure 7;

Figure 9 is a detail view, on a somewhat enlarged scale, of the improved clutch or driving connection embodied in the invention;

Figure 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating a preferred arrangement of the timing mechanism, showing the manner in which the operation of the machine is controlled, and how the various stages of the cleaning process are initiated and terminated; and,

Figure 11 is a diagram showing the sequence of the various operations carried out by the machine and the relative duration of each stage thereof.

Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, the

invention, in the present illustration, has a casing or cabinet whose bottom takes the form of a storage tank 1d of generally oblong configuration mounted on a rectangular frame made up'of channel members 12, or the like.

The casing has a sloping front wall 14, formed with a depressed sloping panel 16, similar side walls 18, 18, a rear sloping wall 29, and a top 22.

The storage tank 1 and the sides 18, 18 extend rear- Wardly beyond the rear wall 20 forming an enclosure, open at the rear, for housing the driving mechanism of the machine.

The portion of the casing between the front and back and side walls forms a receptacle 23, called a curb, closed by an inner bottom wall 24 and an inner top wall 26 and within which a rotary basket 23 is supported on a shaft 30 carried in suitable bearings 32 and 34. The bearings 32 and 34 are carried on a frame or bracket which includes spaced legs 36, 36, joined at their upper ends by a crosspiece 38, to which the outer ends of forwardly extending braces, one of which is indicated at 4t), are connected, the inner ends of the braces being connected to an angle member 42, attached to the rear wall 26 and upon which the bearing 32 is secured. The bearing 34 may be a thrust bearing of suitable design to take the thrust of the shaft 30 due to the position of the shaft which slopes downwardly and rearwardly.

At its forward end the shaft 36 extends through the rear wall 20 of the casing and is attached, as indicated at 44, to the basket 28 to support the basket for rotation within the receptacle.

The basket 28 is cone shaped in structure, having a conical wall 46, which is formed of forarninous or perforated sheet material, and a rear circular wall 48. The front Wall Sll of the basket is circular and has a rectangular opening 52 therein for a purpose later to be made apparent. The basket is of somewhat smaller dimensions than the inside dimensions of the receptacle so that the basket may rotate freely therein during the cleaning process.

Within the basket a number of partitions 54 are arranged, four such partitions being shown in the present illustration, which divide the interior of the basket into compartments of equal size for the reception of the clothes or other articles to be cleaned.

An upper baffle plate 57 extends downwardly from the inner top wall of the casing, which baffle plate has a lower edge portion 59 spaced somewhat from the basket 23, and provided with a flexible strip 61, suitably attached to the baflle plate and engaging the exterior of the basket. A similar baflle plate 63 extends upwardly from the bottom of the receptacle, and has its upper edge portion 65 spaced from the basket, and is likewise provided with a flexible strip 67 which engages the exterior of the basket, as illustrated in Figure 5.

In carrying out the cleaning process it becomes necessary to rotate the basket 28 at greatly varying rates of speed during different stages of the operation of the machine, and for this purpose two separate electric motors 56 and 58 are employed. The motor 56, in the present illustration serves to rotate the basket at relative low speed and is used during the washing and tumbling stages of the cleaning process, while motor 53 operates the basket at relatively high speed in carrying out the extracting stage of the cleaning process. The motor 56 is mounted on brackets 60 and Y62 of suitable design attached to the angle member 42 and the braces 49, respectively, and extending upwardly therefrom. The bracket 62 has slots in its lower end portions, as indicated at 64 and is secured to the braces 49 by bolts 66, as shown in Figure 4, so that the length of the bracket 62 is adjustable. Motor 58 is mounted on brackets 63 and 70 attached to the top of the tank 10 by adjustable fastening means, such as the bolts 72 and 74, whereby the position of the motor may be adjusted vertically.

Separate pulleys 76 and 78 are rotatably mounted on the shaft 39, the pulley 76 being operatively connected through a driving belt 89, or other similar element, to a pulley 82 fixed on the shaft 84 of suitable speed change mechanism 86 connected in driving relation with the motor 56. The pulley 78 is likewise operatively connected by a driving belt 88 to a pulley 9G fixed on the shaft 92 of the motor 58.

Each of the pulleys 76 and 78 is provided with clutch mechanism by which the shaft 30 may be rotated upon rotation of the pulley in one direction, but which permits the shaft to rotate independently thereof upon rotation of the other pulley in the same direction. The clutch mechanism is illustrated in detail in Figure 9, wherein the pulley 76 is shown by way of example. As seen in Figure 9, the clutch mechanism comprises a strong coiled spring 94 wound about the shaft 30 and having a straight end portion 96 which fits into an opening 98 in the pulley 76 to cause the spring to rotate with the pulley. An adjustable collar 1% is also mounted on the shaft 30 and is held in adjusted position for rotation with the shaft by a set screw 102 or other suitable means. The collar is adjusted to engage a flattened portion 164 on the adjacent end of the spring 94 so that upon rotation of the pulley 76 in a direction to wind up the spring, the spring is caused to grip the shaft 30 to rotate the shaft with the pulley. The arrangement of the parts is such, however that when the shaft 30 is rotated in the same direction by the other pulley 78, the shaft may rotate freely in the spring 94.

Clutch mechanism of identical structure to that described above, and whose corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numbers, is provided in conjunction with the pulley 78, so that upon operation of either of the motors 56 and 58, the shaft is rotated thereby independently of the other.

The fluid storage tank 10 may be filled with a suitable cleaning fluid such as a petroleum distillate, and fluid from the tank is fed by suitable pumping mechanism into the receptacle 23 to the desired level therein so that the articles to be cleaned contained in the basket 28 will be thoroughly wetted by the fluid as the basket rotates. For pumping the fluid from the tank into the receptacle a rotary pump 106 is provided, which is adapted to be driven by suitable mechanism including a driving belt 108, which passes about a pulley, not shown, fixed on the shaft of the pump, and about a similar pulley, also not shown, on the shaft of an electric motor 110, attached to a side wall of the casing. A pipe 112 leads from the bottom of the tank 10 to the intake of the pump 106 and a pipe 114 connects the discharge outlet of the pump with the interior of the receptacle 23. A valve 116 is provided in the pipe 114 whereby the connection between the pump and the receptacle may be closed when desired, and the pipe 114 also has an extension 118, closed by a valve 129, which opens the pipe 114 to the atmosphere.

The cleaning machine also includes filtering mechanism which comes into operation during the washing stage of the cleaning process, and which includes a filter illustrated in detail in Figures 7 and 8. This filter comprises a box-like receptacle 122 having an upper inlet connected by .a pipe 124 in communication with the discharge outlet of a pump 126, which is adapted to be driven by a pulley 123, fixed on the shaft of the pump and operatively connected by means of a driving belt 132 with a pulley 134 attached to the shaft 136 of an electric motor 138, mounted on a sidewall 18 of the casing. The inlet of the pump 126 is connected by a pipe 140 to the tank 10, and connected into this pipe thereis a valve 142 adapted'to be operated by an electromagnetic solenoid 144 and to be opened upon energizetion of the solenoid and closed by gravity upon tie-energization thereof. There is also a check valve 143 in the pipe 140 between the tank and the branch pipe 146.

Connected into the pipe 140 there is a branch pipe 146 which communicates with the bottom of the receptacle 23 and through which the fluid in the receptacle may be drained into the tank 10.

The receptacle 122 has a bottom outlet connected by a pipe 148 to the curb or receptacle 23 and through which filtered cleaning fluid is returned to the receptacle. The pipes 124 and 148 are provided with suitable sight glasses 150 and 152, respectively, by which the flow of fluid therethrough may be seen. There is also a check valve 151 in the pipe 148 which opens with the flow of fluid from the filter to the curb.

Within the filter receptacle 122 there is a header 154, as best seen in Figures 7 and 8, which is connected to the discharge pipe 148, and which is provided with a series of tapered inlet connections 156, and which are adapted to receive the correspondingly tapered ends of outlet pipes 158 offilter elements 160. Each of the filter elements 160 takes the form of a flat substantially rectangular frame covered on both sides with a foraminous fabric or filter cloth of very fine mesh, the interior of the element being in communication with the outlet pipe 158 at one end of the element, and through which the filtered fluid passes to the header 154.

The elements 160 are positioned on edge in side by side, spaced relation within the receptacle, each of the elements being provided with a coating of suitable filtering agent, such as bentonite or the like, and the intervening spaces between the elements being completely filled and packed with such filtering agent.

The filter, constructed as above described, receives cleaning fluid from the bottom of the curb or receptacle 23 through branch pipe 146, pipe 140, pump 126 and pipe 124, which fluid enters the filter receptacle above the elements 160. The fluid under pressure then passes through the filtering agent and through the fine mesh filter cloth to the interior of the elements and flows out of the elements through the discharge pipes 158 into the header 1S4, whence the filtered fluid is fed back to the receptacle 23 through pipe 148. This circulation of cleaning fluid from the receptacle 23 through the filter and back into the receptacle is continued during the washing stage of the cleaning operation.

In order to thoroughly dry the clothes and remove the last traces of cleaning fluid therefrom, heated air is drawn through the clothes in the basket 28, during the tumbling stage of the cleaning process and for this purpose an exhaust duct 162 is provided, which is connected in communication with the interior of the curb 23 and which may discharge at any desired location into the outside atmosphere. The exhaust duct includes a fan housing 164, attached to the rear wall 20, and within which an exhaust fan 166 is located. The fan is conveniently attached to the shaft 168 of an electric motor 178 carried on a bracket 172 attached to the fan housing, and which drives the fan.

Within the top of the casing of the machine suitable heating coils 174 may be located beneath the grillwork 1'76, and to the outer ends of which coils fluid condensation traps 178 are attached. The coils 174 are supplied with steam from any convenient source through inlet pipe 180. Air from outside of the machine is drawn inwardly through the grillwork 176 and through the heating coils, the heated air then passes into the receptacle 23, at one side of the basket and thence between the baflle plates 57 and 63 and through the basket 28. After passing through the basket the heated air and fumes of the cleaning fluid are drawn out of the receptacle from the opposite side thereof and exhausted through the duct 162 to the atmosphere.

The electrical timing and control mechanism by which the various stages of the cleaning process are initiated and controlled, includes a main switch enclosed in a housing 184 and having a control handle 186 extending outside the housing by which the switch may be opened or closed, and electrically driven switch timing mechanism contained in a housing 188 and by which the various parts of the operating mechanism are started and stopped. A preferred form of arrangement of the timing mechanism is schematically illustrated in Figure 10 of the drawings, wherein the electric motor 190 is connected in driving relation with a series of switch actuating cams to slowly rotate the cams to open and close electrical switches by which the operation of the machine takes place.

The switch actuating cams are conveniently mounted on the shaft 192 of the timing motor for rotation therewith. A cam 194 is provided, having a camming portion 196 which engages the switch 198 to close the switch to operate the filling pump motor 110, whereby the cleaning fluid may be pumped from the tank 10 into the receptacle or curb 23.

A cam 209 has a cam portion 202 which is arranged to actuate switch 264, by which the filter pump motor 138 is operated to circulate the cleaning fluid from the receptacle 23 through filter 122 and back into the receptacle. The actuation of the washing and tumbling motor 56 takes place through a cam 206, which has two camming portions 208 and 210 which successively actuate the switch 212, the portion 208 being effective during the washing stage, while the portion 218 actuates the switch during the tumbling stage. It will be noted that the switches 204 and 212 are both closed during the washing stage so that the cleaning fluid is also being filtered while the washing is taking place.

A cam 214 is provided with a camming portion 216, which closes a switch 218 to energize the solenoid 144, whereby the dumping valve 142 is opened to permit the cleaning fluid to flow out of the receptacle or curb 23 back into the tank 10, such return flow being initiated shortly before the close of the washing stage.

The extraction stage of the cleaning process is controlled by a cam 220, which has a camming portion 222 effective to actuate a switch 224, by which the extractor motor 58 is set in operation.

During the time that the tumbling stage is being carried out, which is represented by the portion 210 of cam 206 there is a cam 226 which has a similar portion 228 which actuates a switch 230, whereby the fan or blower motor is operated to draw heated air through the clothes and exhaust the same with the residue of cleaning fluid through the exhaust duct 162.

Finally there is a cam 232 having a cam portion 234 which actuates a switch to stop the entire machine at the close of the tumbling and drying stage and to set the mechanism in condition for the initiation of another entire cycle of the stages of the next cleaning operation.

Suitable switch means is also provided for starting the machine to set the cleaning process in operation, which is actuated by a push button 236 located on the front wall 14 of the casing and similar switch means for stopping the machine at any time is adapted to be operated by an emergency push button 238. There is also a push button switch 240 located on the front wall 14 which is connected by a suitable electrical circuit with the motor 56 to actuate this motor independently and arranged to operate the motor only when the push button is depressed, whereby the basket may be inched into position for the convenient insertion of the objects to be cleaned into the compartments of the basket or removed therefrom.

Closure means is provided for the compartments of the basket which may take the form of a pair of separately movable members 242 and 244, each of which is of V-shape in cross-section having perforated or foraminous side walls 246 and 248 meeting in a right angle, and with the third side open. The members 242 and 244 are arranged with their open sides together, forming a box-like structure which is removably fitted into therectangular opening 52 in the front wall 50 of the basket 28. Each of the members 242 and 244 has a closed front end 250 in which an outwardly opening pocket 252 is provided, across which a handle 254 extends, by which the members may be separately pulled out of the basket in opening the closure or moved inwardly to closed position within the opening 52. Each member also has a latch 256, one end of which extends into the pocket 252 and is formed with a hoolosliaped portion 258 adjacent the handle 254. The latch 256 extends outwardiy from the pocket 252 and through the side wall 2&3 of the closure member for latching en agement with the front wall 50 of the basket outwardly of the opening 52 thereof to hold the member in closed position. A resilient element, such as a coil spring 25$, surrounds the ic oh, and bears at one end against a bushing exten 5 through the Wall of the pocket 252, and at the other end against a collar 262 fixed on the latch whereby the resilient member urges the latch outwardly into latching position.

By grasping the handle 254, and moving the latch 256 inwardly of the pocket 252 by the hook-shaped end portion 258, against the pressure of the spring 253, the latch is readily released and the closure member may be pulled out of the opening 52.

A circular opening 264 is provided in the front wall 14 of the casing in concentric relation to the axis of the basket and of larger size than the opening 52, so that the closure members can be readily removed through the front of the casing, and this opening 264 has a closure 266 therefore, hinged to the front wall 14 and adapted to be retained in closed position by means of a suitable releasable latch mechanism indicated at 263.

Beneath the basket 23 within the receptacle 23 there is removably button tray 27%; to catch and retain buttons or other objects which may become separated from the clothes in the basket during operation of the machine and fall into the tray. There is also an opening 272 in the front Wall 14, closed by a door 274, and through which the button tray 274) may be removed to recover the buttons therein.

A light panel 276 may also he provided in the front wall 14 above the closure 266 in which electric lamps are disposed which are connected by suitable electric circuits to the various parts of the operation mechanism and which are lighted in sequence to indicate the various stages of the cleaning process as they occur during the operation of the machine. The electric lamps are preferably arranged in the order of the successive stages of the cleaning process, as seen in Figure of the drawings.

In Figure ll a preferred sequence of the various stages of the cleaning process is illustrated, showing the relationship between the dilferent stages and the duration of each stage in the process.

Before the machine is set in operation the articles to be cleaned are placed in the basket 28, by removing the closure members 242 and 244 and inserting the articles in the compartments formed by the partition 54, so that the weight of the articles is substantially uniformly distributed about the axis of the shaft 39. The closure members are then inserted and the closure 266 latched in closed position. The starting button 236 is then pressed to start the machine.

Upon such initiation of the cleaning process, the filling pump 119 is started, by the earn 194 closing the switch 18, whereupon cleaning fluid is pumped from the tank 10 through pipes 112 and 114 into the receptacle 23, until the fluid rcaches the desired level in the receptacle. During the filling stage the filling li ht 278 on panel 276 will be lighted.

Before the completion of the filling operation the cam 200 will actuate switch 2&4 to start the pump 133, whereby fluid from the receptacle 23 will be pumped through branch pipe 146 and pipes 140 and 124 to filter 122, and from the filter through pipe 148 back into the receptacle,

8 and during the filtering of the fluid the light 280 will be lighted.

Cam 210 also operates, at the time that the filtering operation starts, to close switch 212, whereby the motor 56 is started to rotate the basket 28 to wash the articles therein.

The filling operation proceeds for some time after the commencement of the filtering and washing, until the receptacle 23 is filled to the desired level, whereupon the switch 198 is released and the filling motor 11% stops, and light 278 goes out.

The filtering continues after cessation of the filling operation, and sometime prior to the end of the washing stage cam 24H) releases switch 204, whereupon the filter pump 126 steps. The light 289, however, remains lighted until the close of the washing stage.

Cam 214 operates sometime before the close of the washing stage, to close switch 218 to energize the solenoid 144 to open the dumping valve 142 to initiate the draining or dumping of the fluid from the receptacle through branch pipe 146 and pipe back into tank 10, and the light 282 is lighted.

When the fluid has been partially drained from the receptacle 23, the cam 210 releases the switch 212 to stop motor 56, thus terminating the washing stage and light 286 is extinguished.

Cam 220 operates to actuate switch 224 to start motor 48 immediately after the termination of the washing stage and while the dumping stage is still proceeding, thus beginning the extraction of the fluid from the washed articles without loss of time.

The mechanism is designed so that the motor 58 rotates the basket 28 at relatively high speed, thus accomplishing extraction of the fluid from the articles by centrifugal action, and the dumping valve remains open during the entire extracting stage and may remain open for sometime thereafter to assure complete emptying of the curb. The cams 210, and 214 are then effective to permit opening of their respective switches 212 and 218, so that the valve 142 closes and the motor 58 stops, and the lights 282 and 284 are extinguished.

Cams 210 and 228 then actuate their respective switches 212 and 230, to again start the motor 56 and to start the blower motor 170, whereby the articles are tumbled in the basket and heated air is passed through the receptacle to thoroughly remove the last traces of cleaning fluid from the articles. Light 286 is also lighted during the tumbling and drying stage.

At the close of the tumbling and drying stage cams 210 and 228 reach positions at which switches 25.2 and 230 are opened and cam 232 actuates switch 236 to stop the entire machine, after which cam 232 moves to a position to allow the switch 236 to be reset to place the machine in condition for the initiation of another entire cycle of operations. The stop light 238 is also lighted to indicate that the cleaning process is completed.

The cleaned articles may then be removed from the basket by removing the closure members 242. In so removing the articles the basket 28 is inched, into a position in which one of the closure members 242 is in an upwardly opening position. The other closure member is then pulled out, and the articles in the uppermost cornpartment may then be removed, after which the closure member is replaced and the operation repeated until all of the compartments have been emptied.

It will be appreciated that the above sequence of operations, as well as the duration of and relationship between the various stages described above, are intended to be illustrative only, and may be varied at will to suit the particular circumstances and conditions to which the machine must be adapted.

Due to the arrangement of the shaft 30 at a slight angle to the horizontal and also because of the conical shape and arrangement of the basket 23, there is an endwise thrust on the shaft during the rotation of the basket 28, so

that rotation of the basket at high speed during the extracting stage does not cause undesirable vibration of the machine. By constructing tire basket in the shape of a cone, the clothes or other articles being cleansed will tend ot move toward the region of greatest diameter when the basket rotates, thus preventing the clothes from becoming unevenly distributed and assuring that the load is evenly balanced about the shaft at all times.

While the machine is particularly adapted for dry cleaning operations, it will be apparent that the invention is adaptable by suitable modification for use in washing with Water, and that when so used certain of the parts of the mechanism may be eliminated or modified to suit the particular conditions of use.

The invention as described above provides cleaning equipment of compact design, which is ruggedly constructed, by which all necessary dry cleaning operations are accomplished in a single unitary machine without the necessity of transferring the articles to be cleaned from one piece of equipment to another between the various 1 stages of the cleaning process, and which is fully automatic in operation.

While the invention has been disclosed in connection with a certain specific embodiment of the same, it will be understood that this is intended by way of illustration only, and that numerous changes can be made in the con struction and arrangement of the various parts without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus clearly shown and described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In laundry equipment, a receptacle for cleaning fluid, a storage tank, a filter having an outlet connected in communication with the receptacle and having an inlet, a circulating pump having a discharge outlet connected in communication with the inlet of the filter and having an inlet, conduit means connected in communication with the receptacle and with the inlet of said circulating pump and also with said tank, valve means in said conduit means closing the conduit means against flow of fluid from said tank to said circulating pump, said valve means being operable to open said conduit means to permit flow of fluid from said receptacle to said tank and fluid pumping means connected in communication with said tank and said receptacle and operable to pump fluid from the tank directly into the receptacle.

2. A laundry machine comprising a receptacle for cleaning fluid, a basket rotatably mounted in said receptacle, means for rotating said basket, a storage tank, pumping means connected in communication with the storage tank and the receptacle and operable to pump fiuid from the tank directly into the receptacle, a filter having an outlet connected in communication with said receptacle and having an inlet, a fluid circulating pump having a discharge outlet connected in communication with the inlet of the filter and having an inlet, a drain pipe connected in communication with the receptacle and the tank for draining fluid from the receptacle into the tank and also connected in communication with the inlet of said pump, and a valve in said pipe between said tank and the inlet of said pump and closing said pipe against flow of fluid from said tank to said pump, said valve being operable to open said pipe.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,101,014 Angelus Nov. 30, 1937 2,165,884 Chamberlin et al July 11, 1939 2,301,803 Davis Nov. 10, 1942 2,303,541 Gluckman Dec. 1, 1942 2,309,940 Douglas Feb. 2, 1943 2,598,918 Jacobs et a1. June 3, 1952 

